An Accidental Affair
by akerri.dogi
Summary: Gwen falls for Lancelot as Arthur is trying to revive their marriage. Poor Merlin is forced to take Gwen's form when Arthur calls, to keep them both happy. Arthur soon learns he hasn't been falling for his wife again, but for Merlin instead. Slash.
1. Ambiguous Use of Magic

Written for this prompt:

_Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot_

_When Gwen begins to fall for Lancelot, Merlin enchants himself to look like Gwen when Arthur calls for her because he doesn't want his friend to get hurt. Gwen hardly spends any time with Arthur and Merlin's forced to repeat the spell over and over again, making Gwen wonder why Arthur appears to be more in love with her than ever while she's been less affectionate with him._

_Arthur eventually finds out the truth and discovers he hasn't been falling all over again for his wife but for Merlin instead._

A/N: This is my first Merlin fic on this site! Beware for all you homophobes, this is Arthur/Merlin slash.

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**Chapter 1: Ambiguous Use of Magic**

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Arthur watched, his eyes remorseful, as the foreign dignitaries left Camelot, arm in arm. Gwen sat next to him in her throne, elegantly smiling as the couple left. Arthur could tell she was bored out of her mind—this whole "queen" thing just wasn't for her. She would rather be spending her days doing practical things that would visibly benefit the castle, instead of sitting for hours playing the subtle game of politics.

As Arthur sat back down on his own throne, he glanced at Gwen from the corner of his eye. They used to be like those dignitaries, so in love… what had happened? Where was the happiness he imagined that would come after marriage? Where was the joy, the laughter? What had he done wrong that Gwen could hardly stand to be in the same room as him?

Arthur sighed as the guards ushered in another group of visiting nobles. He was at a loss of what to do. Seeing that young couple, a mirror image of himself and Gwen back in the past, it made him crave that intimacy again. He had been content for the past few years to let her fade off into the distance seeing as he no longer felt anything for her either, but now…

He straightened his spine and gave a regal nod as the nobles bowed. No, he was going to win her back. He was going to get back the best relationship of his life; he was going to win his wife's love again.

XXX

Merlin paced anxiously in Gwen's room as he fretted over Arthur's last command. Though he was the Court Sorcerer and Top Advisor of King Arthur's Court, he had somehow landed up as a messenger boy between Arthur and Gwen. Merlin swore that Arthur still treated him like a manservant out of spite. He still wasn't over the fact that Merlin had hidden his magic from him for over three years.

That was besides the point though. Merlin strode back in forth in the middle of Gwen's room. Arthur had called to have dinner with Gwen for the first time in what seemed like years. Merlin knew that Gwen had moved into separate quarters early on in their marriage, and not soon after the two were hardly spending any time together. Of course, outwardly they seemed to be the perfect couple. Arthur often explained how his relationship with Gwen was a matter of politics, but Merlin still didn't get why they had to act one way in public, while being completely different in private.

However, it appeared as though Arthur wanted to rekindle their private relationship. And that was how Merlin was stuck in this dilemma. Gwen had been seeing Lancelot for a few months now, ever since he came back as a full-fledged knight. Merlin knew it wasn't fair to Arthur, but he often saw the looks that passed between Gwen and Lancelot and he couldn't bring himself to break them up. That didn't mean he wanted Arthur to find out about it, though. No, that would totally destroy Arthur. Telling him was out of the question.

But now that Arthur suddenly requested Gwen's presence during dinner—while she was out with Lancelot too!—he didn't know what to do. How was he supposed to make Gwen meet Arthur for dinner if Gwen wasn't even in the castle? A doppelganger? But those were simply physical forms of the person, they didn't actually talk. An illusion? No, if the illusionary Gwen tried to eat, then the food would drop right to the floor and the gig would be up. There had to be some other way…

An idea popped into Merlin's head, but it wasn't one that he was particularly proud or eager of: he _could_ transform into Gwen himself and meet Arthur for dinner, pretending to be her. It was one of the more unscrupulous things he had done with his magic, but it seemed to be the only option…

Merlin sighed to himself. Well, he had done worse for Arthur before. This was just one more thing that Merlin had to do for his best friend.

"_Awendednes min feorhbold aet Gwen_" he mumbled to himself, running his hand over his body. He could feel the change occurring almost instantly. He watched as his skin darkened, his hands shrunk, and a heavy weight appeared across his chest. He stood uncomfortably in his friend's body, trying not to touch anywhere that would seem inappropriate.

"Alright, I need clothes…" Merlin muttered, wandering over to the cabinet. "Where does she keep her dresses?" Merlin opened the two doors and instantly spotted dresses fit for a dinner with the king.

Now for the hard part… Merlin closed his eyes and slid off his tunic and breeches, trying to keep Gwen's modesty intact. He grappled for the dress, sliding it onto his body. He tentatively fixed it over Gwen's chest, groping his back to tighten the corset. He gave a sigh of relief when it was all said and done. Merlin glanced at himself in the mirror and saw Gwen staring back, all dressed up in a nice, blue evening gown.

"Hello, my name is Gwen." Merlin said to himself in the mirror. He saw Gwen speaking back, but it didn't sound quite right. "I am going to meet my husband, Arthur, for dinner." He said again, trying to match his speech patterns with Gwen's own. That was more like it.

Merlin smoothed down the miniscule wrinkles in his dress and took a deep breath. It was time to go meet Arthur. He desperately hoped this worked, otherwise Arthur might be severely heartbroken.

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A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I got stuck somewhere along the 3k mark. I'm hoping to be inspired by posting this fic.

And shout-out to all you _Abluvion_ fans who are also Merlin junkies as well! This pairing, and Klaine, are what make up my life right now.


	2. Misunderstood

A/N: This is the longest one-shot I have ever written. I am very convinced I am incapable of writing short stories. I guess that could be a good thing… for you guys. Not so much for me. Anyhow, enjoy this update!

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**Chapter 2: Misunderstood**

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"So, how was your day?" Arthur asked awkwardly from across the long dining table.

"Fine, how was yours?" Merlin asked, picking at his food. He suddenly realized that this was a bad idea. A _really _bad idea. He had nothing to say to Arthur at all! He didn't know what Arthur and Gwen talked about in private; how could he?

The conversation during dinner had been stilted from the moment Merlin sat down in the chair. And while the awkwardness was good for Merlin's goal to stop Arthur from falling for Gwen again, it was still very, very uncomfortable.

"Good…" Arthur said, trailing off. Merlin could almost feel the discomfiture choking him. His relationship with Arthur never allowed this type of silence to protrude the atmosphere—usually one or the other would interrupt any type of silence with a random remark or insult towards the other. He just couldn't take it!

"How are the knights doing?" Merlin asked, desperately trying to keep the conversation going. He was pretty sure Arthur wouldn't fall in love with him if they were just talking, right? "Do you see any promising recruits in this year's batch?"

"Actually, there _is_ one kid that I have my eye on," Arthur said, warming up to the subject instantly. He looked equally relieved as Merlin that they had something to talk about. "He a farmer's son, but he acts like he's been trained since he was a babe. His backhand is a bit weak, but he has these natural instincts that could literally win him the fight. I was watching his fight with Sir Gwaine—who you should know can almost beat _me_ in a fight—and the kid parried an upper cut with a slash cut. It was the strangest move I'd ever seen, but it somehow _worked_. And you should have seen the look on Gwaine's face for the second afterward. " Arthur said, grinning to himself as he remembered the moment. He paused, seeing Gwen's befuddled face. "Although I guess you're not really interested in that…"

"No, no, keep on talking." Merlin said. "I love to hear you talk about the things you enjoy." He missed Arthur's pleased flush as he took another bite of his food.

"No, I know you don't understand a thing about the training I do." Arthur said, waving off the subject. "How about we talk about you? What did you do today?"

Merlin hesitated, not quite sure what Gwen actually did during the day time (besides sneak out with Lancelot, that is). "Oh, I visited the servants, greeted a few townspeople, nothing much," he said, trying to wave off the subject. "But Arthur, I really was serious when I said I wanted to hear about your training. Tell me more about it."

"Well, alright…" Arthur said hesitantly. "So I told you about the new recruit already. Well… Lancelot has been acting strangely recently. The Knights think he's found himself a girl, but he won't say anything when we ask him about it."

"That's sweet," Merlin said, panicking slightly on the choice of topic. "And what about Leon's girl?" He said, remembering something Gwen had just told him. "Have they been working out?"

"I think so…" Arthur said, chewing thoughtfully on a carrot. "We usually don't talk about this type of stuff except for when it affects training. For example, Percival's wife was watching practice today and he was showing off a lot. It was partially amusing and partially annoying because all the recruits were paying more attention to him than to their drills."

"That sounds just like him," Merlin said with a laugh. "Those two are the most loving couple I've seen in a while. It's pretty amazing that their relationship has remained so passionate despite the years that have gone by."

"Yeah…" Arthur agreed, getting quiet.

"What?" Merlin asked. "What's wrong?"

"Guinevere, I—" Arthur shook his head and stood up. "This isn't the place for what I want to say." Arthur said. Merlin put down his own fork as well, unsure of what to do when confronted by this side of Arthur.

"Alright," Merlin agreed uneasily, "where do you want to go?"

"Let's go to our garden," Arthur suggested hesitantly, holding out his arm for Merlin to grasp. Merlin tentatively wrapped his hand around Arthur's bicep, clinging onto the firm muscle as Arthur led him outside. They stopped by the bench by the fountain, where Arthur turned to face the garden.

"Do you remember this spot?" Arthur asked nostalgically. "This was the place where I fell in love with you. We were kissing and laughing, and it just hit me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I remember," Merlin said, going along with Arthur. He never really talked to Gwen about her relationship with Arthur, so he didn't know any particulars. All he knew was that they used to be in love, and then the passion simply died.

Arthur sighed, turning to face Merlin. "So what happened to us, Guinevere?" He asked, looking more vulnerable than Merlin had ever seen him before. "Why isn't it the same anymore? We're married now, but we haven't spent the day with each other in… I can't even remember anymore. I don't see you unless we have royal duties together, and god knows when we last slept in the same room. Is it completely impossible for us to fall in love again?"

Merlin was taken away by the raw emotion in Arthur's voice. He felt his heart beating like mad even though he _knew_ that Arthur wasn't really talking to him. No, right now he was Gwen, and Arthur was speaking to his wife who he no longer loved. Merlin felt guilty; it was like he was intruding on a private moment between the two. It was too late to stop, though, so Merlin tried to think of what Gwen would say.

"I don't know what happened," Merlin began, "and I'm sad that we no longer share the same bond that we used to. Just… Arthur, I don't think we can rekindle that love. I think it's just too late for us." Merlin held his breath, hoping that Arthur would take the rejection easily. He was telling the complete truth—it _was_ too late for Arthur and Gwen. Gwen's heart had already been given to another, Lancelot, and there was nothing Arthur could do about it.

Arthur didn't react as Merlin would have wished. He shook his head fiercely and grabbed Merlin's hands. "That can't be right," Arthur said, "can't you give us a chance? Please, Gwen, I want to love you again. Can we at least try?"

"Arthur, I can't," Merlin protested. Who knows what would happen if he gave Arthur even the slightest bit of encouragement. How could Gwen react when she found out Merlin was masquerading as her? How would Arthur react when this all eventually unraveled? No, it was best to end this charade here and now. "I don't love you anymore and I can't force myself to fall in love with anybody. I'm really sorry, but our relationship is over."

Arthur looked down, his bangs shadowing his eyes. "No," He whispered lowly. "I refuse to accept that."

"Well you'll have to." Merlin said harshly, trying to encourage Arthur to give up. "We aren't meant for each other, it's as simple as that."

"No." Arthur said, moving forwards. Merlin could hardly blink before Arthur was close, pressing his lips onto Merlin's own. Arthur moved his lips gently against Merlin's, pressing firmly, pleadingly. When Merlin opened his mouth to protest, Arthur slipped in his tongue to flick around Merlin's mouth. Merlin nearly melted, but then he realized what he was doing and fought back. He took over the kiss, running his own tongue over Arthur's instead, possessing him.,

When they finally released each other, Merlin could feel his face was a blushing red. Arthur was also slightly pink, and he was panting as well. "You can't deny that." Arthur said softly, caressing Merlin's cheek. "That was the best kiss we've ever shared, I think. So you see, the chemistry is still there. We just need to make it work. Will you try this again with me?"

Arthur licked his lips nervously as Merlin stared at him. Merlin swallowed hard, staring at Arthur's bruised lips. He found himself nodding at whatever Arthur was saying without truly comprehending what was going on.

Arthur lit up at Merlin's consent. "Thank you," Arthur breathed into Merlin's lips before capturing him again in a deep kiss. "Thank you," he repeated in a whisper when they paused to catch their breath.

Merlin stood dumbfounded as Arthur pushed himself away.

"I'll leave you here tonight," Arthur said, excusing himself. "I don't want to push it too far, too fast. I promise I'll treat you as if I was courting you again. You won't have to worry about anything too intimate too soon. I understand that I let you get away from me the first time." Arthur paused, looking regretful. Merlin could almost see him squaring his shoulders in determination. "That won't happen again." Arthur vowed. "I promise."

And with that, Arthur disappeared into the castle, leaving Merlin to fall lifelessly onto the bench. What had just happened? He hadn't seriously encouraged Arthur in his pursuit of Gwen, had he?

"Oh no…" Merlin bemoaned, his head cradled in his hands, "I knew something would go wrong if I did this. What do I tell Gwen now?" Nothing, was the answer he decided on. He wouldn't say anything to anyone. He _couldn't_. No, this was another secret he would guard with his life. He just hoped that Arthur would eventually grow tired of the idea so he would give up on Gwen.

XXX

"Good morning, Arthur, Merlin." Gwen said, sitting down at the table the next day for lunch. Merlin fidgeted nervously in his seat at the table. The knights around them laughed boisterously at some lewd joke or another, but Arthur wasn't paying them attention today. No, instead his focus was on Gwen, who was sitting daintily across from him, eating her meal.

"Guinevere," Arthur said, speaking above the noise, "Have you considered what I said yesterday?"

"Hey Arthur," Merlin hastened to interrupt, "have you heard about the bandits wreaking havoc on South Pleasantville? A messenger just told me before I entered the hall and he said it was urgent."

"Yes, Merlin, I've heard." Arthur said, annoyed. "And I've sent some knights out to deal with it. Now if you don't mind, I'm talking to my wife."

"No, I don't mind at all," Merlin said brightly, shifting his seat over so he could join the conversation. "So what were we talking about?"

"It's _private_, Merlin." Arthur said, gritting his teeth. Merlin smiled pseudo-obliviously back at him.

Gwen looked at the two of them in confusion. "Is there something I'm missing?" She asked politely. "Are you two having some sort of fight I should know about?"

"Of course not." Merlin said, "Why would you think that? Do you think Arthur and I would get into an argument that easily?"

"No, I didn't mean to imply that." Gwen said quickly, "I know you two are the best of friends, and you're really lucky to have one another. And while you do banter around, I understand that it's just the odd way you show affection and it's not serious at all. Not that you can't show affection in a normal way—I mean, I'm sure you can tell the difference between what is normal and what is not."

"Gwen, it's alright. Neither of us take offense to what you're saying." Merlin said with a laugh.

"Oh, good." Gwen said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, it has just been a long time since we've spoken together like this during a meal. I mean, Arthur is usually off talking to the knights about something or other, and I'm usually chatting with the ladies at the table."

"I know, and I apologize for neglecting you like that." Arthur said sincerely, taking her hand. "I'll make do on my promise from before and I'll change."

"Oh, you don't have to change, Arthur." Gwen said, slightly bewildered. "I like you the way you are."

"No, I won't accept that!" Arthur said fiercely. "You deserve more than that, Guinevere, and I will be a man that is worthy of you."

"There is no need, really." Gwen said. "No matter how much you may change, you'll always stay the same to me." She obviously didn't understand what Arthur was talking about, and Merlin was glad for that. He wasn't exactly sure what Gwen _did_ think they were talking about, but as long as it played in his favor, everything was still fine.

"Sire, Lord Podmore is waiting in the Third Study." A servant interrupted their conversation. He bowed lowly when he saw Arthur direct a glare at him.

"You'd best be off, Arthur." Merlin said, relieved at the reprieve.

"I'll talk to you later, Guinevere." Arthur said, pointedly looking at Merlin to give them privacy. Merlin turned his head, looking away, but he still listened closely to make sure Arthur didn't give any hint on what they had been up to yesterday. "I'm still determined to change, Guinevere." He heard Arthur promise softly. "Don't forget it."

Merlin waved goodbye as Arthur strode out of the hall, straightening his posture to that of a king.

"What was he talking about?" Gwen asked Merlin as soon as her husband was gone. "Why does he want to change?"

"I think it's just something the knights have been talking about now." Merlin reassured her. "Some strange contest that you or I will never understand. Don't encourage it, though; their competitions aren't always the best for their health. You just take care of your own little secret, okay? I'll take care of Arthur."

Gwen blushed at the mention of Lancelot. She ducked her head down guiltily, glancing at her lover who was sitting at the end of the table. He grinned charmingly at her when I caught her eye. "I know it's wrong…" She said quietly, "but I can't help but love him."

"You don't have to justify it to me." Merlin said, glancing around them casually to make sure nobody was listening. Just in case, he lowered his voice. "Your marriage just isn't working, and you found something special elsewhere. Nobody is going to begrudge you on that. Arthur will understand someday."

"You think so?" Gwen asked timidly. "I feel so guilty thinking how hurt he'll be if he finds out."

"Let me take care of it." Merlin told her firmly. "You don't have to worry about a thing."

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A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! The next chapter should be coming in about a little more than a week. Happy Labor Day!


	3. Cannot Fall in Love

A/N: Sorry, I almost forgot to update! I hate Wednesdays…

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**Chapter 3: Cannot Fall in Love**

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Merlin was determined to uphold his promise to Gwen the following night, when Arthur called for her down for dinner again. Merlin obediently transformed into Gwen and ran off to continue the façade. Gwen played her part perfectly during the day, dissuading Arthur from "changing" as much as she could. This continued for a few weeks, and Arthur didn't seem to be abating the slightest bit.

The only bright side of the situation was that Gwen still didn't know what was going on. Merlin didn't have the heart to tell her, either, that he was basically having an affair with her husband. Though… god, when he said it like that, it just sounded wrong. He had enough doubts about leaving Arthur in the dark about Lancelot, but now that he was sort of betraying Gwen as well… Merlin's conscience was torn.

"Guinevere," Arthur called out, waiting until Merlin finally looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking." Merlin reassured him. He swung their intertwined hands in the air as they walked down the forest path. They were on yet another one of their nightly walks—this time in a secluded, but secure part of the forest. "So how was your hunting expedition today? " Merlin asked. He then added disapprovingly, "I saw the buck you brought back."

"He was a beauty, wasn't he?" Arthur asked with a grin. "His antlers were nearly as big as that buck I caught back when Merlin was still my manservant. I think its antlers still anchored onto the wall in one of the guest rooms."

Merlin frowned; he remembered the poor animal. That had been his first real experience with Arthur's unhealthy addiction to hunting. "Yes, he was." He agreed disapprovingly, "but that didn't mean you had to kill him."

Arthur sighed, "Now you're starting to act like Merlin. He's been telling me the same thing since we met, 'Don't kill the poor bunny rabbit, Arthur! Look, it's _staring _at you. Isn't it so cute?'" Arthur mocked. Merlin gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a retort. Arthur glanced at Merlin, "Don't tell me we'll start this argument as well…"

Merlin huffed, "Well they're all true points. You shouldn't kill animals for no reason other than for entertainment."

"All animals die eventually," Arthur protested. "You can't save them all. Dying is part of the natural cycle, remember?"

"Natural doesn't usually include sticking an arrow down their throats." Merlin muttered, forgetting to act like Gwen in the face of such a horrid topic.

"I didn't know you cared so much." Arthur said bemusedly.

"Well, maybe you didn't know me that well." Merlin retorted.

Arthur fell silent, causing Merlin to glance at him. "No, I'm beginning to see that…" Arthur said quietly. "I guess I never really got to know you before we got married, did I?"

Merlin hastened to reassure him. "No, you knew me just fine! Our marriage didn't work because it just wasn't meant to be."

"But look at us now!" Arthur exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the trail to take Merlin's hands. "We're clicking better than we ever had before. See, I'm even learning new things about you. Maybe back then we just rushed things. I know I was eager to marry and get a queen, to stabilize my reign and all."

"That wasn't why," Merlin said, trying not to waste all of his weeks of work. "I did love you, Arthur. But sometimes love just… doesn't last."

"But if you did love me before, you can love me again." Arthur said softly. He turned Merlin's face gently so he was staring straight into his eyes. "Guinevere, I loved you then too. That love might have faded into the background while I was busy running the kingdom, but it's always been there. And these weeks we've spent together just brought it back, stronger than ever." Arthur paused, and then cleared his throat nervously. "Guinevere… I've been thinking over the past few days and I think I've fallen in love with you again."

"No," Merlin hurriedly interrupted him. "No, you haven't. You've not in love with me Arthur." He tore his face out from Arthur's gentle grasp.

"Yes, yes I am." Arthur replied firmly.

"How?" Merlin challenged. "We've only been talking since that time you kissed me in the garden. And even then, we only talk about normal things, like our day to day routine. You can't fall in love with me just because we have good conversations."

"It's not just that." Arthur argued, grabbing Merlin's hand. "You make me feel important, like you're actually interested in what I have to say. I know you understand that not many people really pay attention to just Arthur, rather than to their king."

"Of course I pay attention to 'just Arthur'. We're friends, that's what friends do." Merlin said. "Doesn't everyone else do the same?"

"No," Arthur said after a short moment of pause. "No, they don't. Actually, nobody but Merlin really knows me as just Arthur. And you, of course—well, before we started drifting apart."

"That still doesn't mean you're in love with me, Arthur." Merlin said, looking down at the ground. He could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest whenever he said the word "love". It was a strange sensation, and he didn't know what to think about it.

"I know what love feels like, Guinevere."

"No, I think you're just confused." Merlin said, shaking his head. "You want to be in love with me so much that you might actually believe it."

"No, Guinevere," Arthur said, "you don't know what I'm feeling. I know this feeling—it's the same feeling I felt for you back when we were younger. Actually, I might be _more_ in love with you now than before. Maybe you've changed, or maybe I've changed, but I just… want to be with you again. I want to be able to hold you close, and kiss you goodnight. I want to sleep in the same room as you, and have carefree picnics on the hills. I want what I used to have—what _we_ used to share."

"No," Merlin said, his voice wavering as he imagined what it would be like to be so close to Arthur. He could feel his heart jumping at the simple thought. He ignored it, though. Arthur was speaking to Gwen, not to him. "Just… no, Arthur. No matter how in love with me you are, we just can't work out."

"Why not?" Arthur asked, his voice rising. "We've already gone through the obstacle of society—remember how much trouble we got into because you were a servant and I was a prince? We stuck through that and I still loved you, so why not now? Give me a reason, Guinevere!"

"I—" Merlin stuttered, "I'm just not ready for a close relationship, that's all. I've grown used to the independence and I like it. I don't want you back."

"You don't mean that," Arthur said, squeezing Merlin's hand. "You don't."

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, seeing as Arthur's resolve was just about to crumble. "I can never love you again, no matter what you do."

"But _I_ love you." Arthur said desperately. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

Merlin couldn't stand seeing Arthur so sad. It killed him to think that he was the reason for the expression on Arthur's face. It had been a stupid plan to pretend to be Gwen… this was causing as much, if not more, heartbreak than would have occurred if Arthur had just found out about Gwen's affair.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Merlin said, forcing himself not to look at Arthur's face anymore.

Though they often insulted each other, Merlin never tried to actually hurt Arthur. No, he often risked his life so that Arthur _wouldn't_ get hurt.

Merlin shook his head, torn. "I have to go." He shakily said. He turned and ran out of the forest, taking the hidden back passage straight up to his rooms in the upper chamber of the castle.

He slammed the door to his room shut, letting his spell go so he looked like himself again. He rubbed his temples as he flopped down on his bed. Arthur was falling in love with him. . And Merlin… Merlin was beginning to think he loved Arthur back. It was crazy, loving his male, _married_ best friend, but he couldn't help it. Not when Arthur was showing his sensitive side like this, treating Merlin like he was someone special.

Merlin had no idea how Gwen could let go of him, especially seeing as Arthur basically treated her like she was his world. Merlin certainly couldn't help himself, not after the kisses, the sweet words, and the pure sincerity of whatever Arthur said. Yes, Merlin was falling, and he was falling hard.

All the while, he was acutely aware that his love would go nowhere. If Merlin had his way, Arthur would just forget about the newfound relationship with his "wife" and he would go back to his kingly duties.

Though, looking back on it now, Merlin wasn't sure if he always acting like he didn't want Arthur. Truthfully, sometimes he thought he was acting like he _encouraged_ Arthur's advances. Especially during those kisses—God, those _kisses!_ Merlin didn't have much experience in romantic matters, so that probably made him more susceptible to Arthur's advances. But experienced or not, Merlin could tell that the odd, fluttering feeling in his stomach was not something that was supposed to happen. Not when Arthur thought he was still in love with Gwen.

"What am I going to do?" He asked. Only one thought came to mind: Maybe it was time to admit the truth.

XXX

A/N: I think the pacing was off in this chapter, but I can't edit that much right now and I promised an update!

Unrelated news: I've decided to do the 2011 NaNoWriMo! I won last year with a really bad, basically plot-less HP fic that I never posted. This year, I'm determined to win with a GOOD fic! That means outlining and hoping that I stick to my outline… I already have the basic idea. It's going to be a MerlinHP xover (because I love Merlin and I'm kind of in a xover stage of my fanfiction writing life) and I hope it ends up good! Anyone interested in reading it?


	4. Destiny

A/N: I know this was supposed to be posted 2 days ago. I'm sorry! I was too busy moping because I got back exam scores… Here's my apology: the final chapter of _An Accidental Affair!_

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**Chapter 4: Destiny**

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Arthur paced in his chambers, thinking. How could he persuade his wife to come back to him? How do you make somebody fall back in love? He could have sworn that Guinevere had grown to love him back during these past few weeks—he wasn't mistaking those looks she sometimes shot him. But then why was she denying it? What reason could she possibly have?

"I don't understand women." He mumbled, sighing loudly. Well, there was no use just bemoaning the fact in his room. If Arthur knew anything, it was that women had to be dealt with aggressively. He couldn't just sit around in his room, allowing her to get away. No, he had to go out and grab her for himself.

He nodded determinedly to himself and heaved open the door to his chambers. On the way down to the main floor, he snagged a passing servant—a young kitchen maid.

"Do you know where the queen is?" He asked the girl.

She kept her head bowed low as she replied. "No, sire. But I did see her with Sir Lancelot before."

"Thank you," Arthur said, already headed towards Lancelot's chambers. He should have thought of that first! He knew Gwen and Lancelot were good friends, so undoubtedly she was keeping Lancelot company in her free time. He briefly wondered if Gwen knew about Lancelot's love interest—the one that he had been spending his spare days wooing with flowers and poetry. Arthur wouldn't put it past Gwen to be the one helping him with his seduction.

As Arthur turned the corner into the Knight's wing of the castle, he spotted Merlin leaning up against the wall next to the door to Lancelot's room.

Arthur looked at him suspiciously. "What are you doing here? Don't you have some work you need to be doing?"

Merlin jumped, looking oddly guilty. "Arthur!" He exclaimed nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard Guinevere was here," Arthur said slowly, "and I wanted to talk to her."

"Why?" Merlin asked, his voice cracking a little. Arthur raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on. Merlin smiled back.

"It's really none of your business, now is it?" Arthur asked. "Now excuse me." He moved to knock on Lancelot's door, but Merlin intercepted him.

"I don't think Gwen is in there." Merlin said quickly. "Maybe you should check her rooms?"

"She's never in her rooms," Arthur scoffed. "She says they're too gaudy. And you're a horrible liar, Merlin. Now I _know_ she's in there. "

Merlin swallowed visibly, but pulled on a tense smile anyways. "I'm not lying," He protested. "I'm just… exhausted from using so much magic to fix the blacksmith's gutters, which is why I'm stuttering a little. It's been a tiring day so far, and I'm just resting here…"

"Uh huh," Arthur said unbelievingly. "Because you regularly trek across the castle to lean against a wall."

"No, I really do," Merlin said, nodding vigorously. "The walls here are nicer than the walls I have around my chambers. They're cooler… and stuff."

"You are extraordinarily bad at this lying business." Arthur declared, pushing him aside. "And I don't know what you're hiding, but I know that it's something you shouldn't be keeping from me."

"I'm not hiding anything!" Merlin said as he ducked underneath Arthur's arm and pressed his body up against Lancelot's door. Merlin pushed back, preventing Arthur from opening it.

"Get out of the way, Merlin." Arthur said, gritting his teeth. "You're making me suspicious of what Guinevere could be doing in there with Lancelot, and you know I don't like to doubt my wife."

"She's not doing anything in there with Lancelot." Merlin said unconvincingly.

Arthur clenched his teeth, a feeling of dread settling into the pit of his stomach. He looked Merlin straight into the eye, looking for something that would relieve his doubt. But Merlin was a horrible at concealing his expressions—Arthur could clearly see the guilt in his eyes.

"No… Guinevere's having an affair with Lancelot?" He asked hoarsely, stepping away from the door. He felt oddly numb, though not as angry as he expected to be. A part of him expected that this would happen eventually. After all, Gwen was a very pretty girl and a devoted romantic—he should have expected her to go out searching for love after he stopped providing it for her.

Still, it didn't stop him from feeling the slightest bit hurt that she couldn't even tell him about it. Arthur glared at Merlin; the bastard probably knew the entire time and didn't tell him about it.

"Gwen's having an affair with Lancelot." Arthur stated again, more angrily this time.

"No, Arthur, she's really not." Merlin said, stepping away from the door to comfort him. "She wouldn't do that to you."

"Oh yeah?" Arthur growled. How could Merlin still defend her even after he'd found out? So, his relationship with Gwen was so much more important than his relationship with Arthur? "Then you won't mind if I do this." He yanked open Lancelot's door, smiling mirthlessly when he saw Gwen sitting on Lancelot's lap, kissing him passionately.

He heard Merlin gulp behind him. Arthur stared dispassionately at the scene of his wife with another man, his voice caught in his throat. Gwen and Lancelot had frozen, and were staring back like two deer caught with a crossbow pointed straight at their heads.

"So this is why you couldn't love me back," Arthur said roughly, turning away from the scene. "And to think I fell in love with you again."

"No, Arthur…" Merlin said softly.

"Arthur, I'm sorry." Gwen said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I should have told you a long time ago."

"So this has been going on for a while, huh?" Arthur said, his eyes directed towards the ground. "And what, were you laughing when I told you about my intentions to revive our marriage? Was this one big _joke_ to you?"

"What?" Gwen asked, confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" Arthur parroted, exploding. "What, you don't remember the past weeks we've spent together, or the times that I've said that I _love you again_. You don't remember the gifts, or the talks, or the goddamn _kisses_? You led me on, Guinevere. You had plenty of time to tell me about your little _lover_ here, but you didn't!"

"Arthur, I really don't know what you're talking about." Gwen said, standing up. "We haven't spent any time together over the last few weeks—or at least, none other than the times we spend acting as the king and queen. If I _had_ been spending all that time with you, I would have give up my secret a long time ago. I wouldn't have let you fall in love with me!"

"Then what was last night?" Arthur asked angrily. "What was that? You just ran away when I said I loved you. You could have told me about _Lancelot_ then, but you didn't, Guinevere."

"I didn't see you last night!" Gwen cried out. "Arthur, I told you I don't know what you're _talking _about. I was with Lancelot last night. I've been with Lancelot for so many nights, I don't even remember the number anymore."

"Now you lie to me," Arthur spat out bitterly. "I don't even know you anymore, Guinevere. I can't believe I even loved you once, let alone twice."

"Arthur…" Merlin interrupted weakly. "Gwen's telling the truth."

Everyone's attention snapped to him. Gwen breathed in sharply as she caught on to what was going on. "Merlin, you didn't…" She whispered sadly.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said, his eyes clenched shut. "But I didn't want to make either of you sad. Gwen, you were so happy with Lancelot, and Arthur… Arthur, I didn't want to break the news to you. I know it was stupid, and cowardly, and idiotic, but I… guess I wasn't thinking then."

"Merlin…" Arthur said, his eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

"It was just a little bit of harmless magic," Merlin said, trying to reason it out. "And I didn't mean to do any harm. I just saw how happy Gwen was with Lancelot, and I knew how upset you would be, Arthur, and I didn't want you to get hurt. So I just thought if I made you give up on the idea of repairing your relationship…"

"And how did that work out for you, Merlin?" Arthur asked, no trace of anger left in his voice. Instead, he almost sounded… defeated.

Merlin bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to fall in love with _me_. I never would have thought… I planned it to be just once—I would pretend to be Gwen, act all cold and nasty to you, and it would be over. But then I just _couldn't_ be mean to you, not when I knew you would be hurt by it. I know I should have ended it a long time ago, but I just _couldn't_."

"Oh, so you were a self-sacrificing martyr in all of this." Arthur said nastily. "It was all _my _fault that I wanted someone to love again, isn't it? And isn't it funny now that I've gone and fallen in love with an imposter."

Merlin looked at the ground silently. He swallowed, and choked out, "I'm sorry, Arthur. Really. I didn't mean to play with your feelings like that. It felt… good to be loved like that, you know?"

Arthur shook his head, too hurt for words. He turned away, and softly asked, "Was it all just an act?" He cursed himself inwardly for showing such weakness. But the words were already out and he couldn't take them back, so he asked louder, "You were just protecting Gwen, and that's it? So whenever I kissed you, you were just taking it for your friend?"

"What?" Merlin's head snapped up. "No! Arthur, I _love_ you. I would never do anything like that!"

Arthur's breath caught in his throat. "You… what?" He asked weakly.

Merlin repeated himself, more anxiously this time. "I love you. I think I always have, Arthur, but recently it's turned from a friendship type of love into something _deeper_. I never lied when I said how much I cared for you, and I never kissed you because I _had_ to." He smiled wryly to himself. "You weren't the only person who fell in love over the last few weeks."

A thought suddenly hit Arthur. "So… I love _you_, not Guinevere. I didn't fall in love with her, I fell in love with you."

Merlin smiled timidly. "I guess so. So does that mean that all is forgiven?"

Arthur laughed, relieved, running his hand over his face. He was in love with Merlin! The happiness he had found over the last few weeks, it was all because of Merlin! And to think Merlin actually loved him back…

Arthur straightened up his posture haughtily, his mood lightened. He sneered at Merlin, a hint of a smile now playing on the corner of his mouth. "I don't think so. This doesn't change the fact that you pretended to be my wife and used your magic for nefarious reasons."

"Nefarious…?" Merlin sputtered. "I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"You tricked me," Arthur corrected him. "And for that, I think a punishment is in order."

Gwen cleared her throat from where she was standing next to Lancelot, a small smile playing on her lips. Arthur and Merlin jumped, having forgotten they were in the room.

"So does that mean I'm forgiven as well?" Gwen asked, wringing her hands.

Arthur sighed. "I know I should be angrier at you, but I fully understand why you did it. So yes, you're forgiven."

"Great!" Merlin said, grinning. "So that means everyone's happy. I knew my plan would work!"

"Your plan didn't work, Merlin," Arthur said, rolling his eyes. "You were just fortunate that I'm such a loving and caring ruler that I forgave you of your idiocy."

"Yes, oh great mighty one." Merlin said sarcastically.

"Anyways, I was talking about a punishment, wasn't I?" Arthur recalled.

"Let me guess: the stocks for a week? A month? Mucking out the stables? You know they're not really punishments if I can get around them with magic." Merlin said facetiously with a confident grin on his face.

"Then I'll have to make one where you _can't_ magic your way out." Arthur said with a wicked grin.

"Like what?" Merlin said warily, no longer so self-assured.

Arthur brushed back his cape nobly, striding into the middle of the room. "Merlin, Lancelot, kneel before your king."

Lancelot hurried to obey, while Merlin muttered something rude as he slowly followed. Arthur waiting impatiently as Merlin sunk to his knee, and then shifted around as he tried to get comfortable.

Finally, when everyone was settled, Arthur gestured for Gwen to stand next to him. "Queen Guinevere, you will be the witness." Arthur said formally. He placed each of his hands on one shoulder of the men kneeling before him. "This is a formal decree that will take place henceforth and will be in effect until I revise or withdraw it. No record of this meeting shall be recorded or spoken to anyone not in this room."

Lancelot and Merlin glanced at each other, unsettled by the sudden formality of their king. Arthur continued, "From this day forward, Sir Lancelot," he gestured for Lancelot to stand, "will be known as the Queen's unofficial consort, taking the place of her husband in all manners of her life except in court. And Court Sorcerer Merlin," Merlin stood without even being asked, "will be my own consort, to do with as I please. Let this arrangement be known and locked in memory, never to be spoken again. This is my royal decree."

Merlin raised his eyebrow when Arthur finished. "Did you really have to do a whole ceremony to tell us that?"

"Yes, Merlin," Arthur said, annoyed at his unimpressed face, "it makes it more official. Don't you think so, Lancelot?"

"Yes, sire," Lancelot said, still shaky on his stance with Arthur. They had previously been close friends—Lancelot was the second to best knight in Camelot, after all. Even so, Lancelot knew that sleeping with the Queen wouldn't be forgiven all that easily. Arthur couldn't just forget such an extreme breach of courtly conduct.

Well, the king obviously didn't understand that. Arthur slapped Lancelot on the back casually. "Now, stop with that whole 'sire' business. You're sleeping with my wife! You're basically family now."

Lancelot shifted uneasily on his feet. "I apologize for that as well. I really didn't mean to infringe on your marriage."

Arthur shrugged. "What's done is done. I no longer loved her like I should have, so you did it for me. Besides, did you not hear that whole ceremony we went through? I approve of your little affair—as long as I can have my own."

"That sounds fair," Gwen said, intertwining her hand with Lancelot's own. "Now if you'll excuse us, I would like to leave before you change your mind."

"I won't." Arthur said determinedly.

Gwen smiled, "I know, but you still need to talk with Merlin alone, don't you?"

Arthur didn't respond to that, allowing her to leave the room with Lancelot in tow. As the door closed, Merlin and Arthur looked at each other awkwardly, neither knowing what to say next.

"So I'm your to do with as you please." Merlin mocked, a smile on his face.

"Yes," Arthur said primly, "so you have to listen to me now. As my new consort, it is even more vital that you don't show me any subordination. After all, if a king cannot even control his consort, what hold does he have over his kingdom?"

"Mmhm, of course," Merlin agreed patronizingly. "We'll see how that goes for you."

"Well since you _love_ me, it shouldn't be too hard." Arthur said, peering at Merlin from the corner of his eye.

"No, I believe _you_ love _me_." Merlin bantered back, moving closer to Arthur. He wrapped his arms around his king, pulling him close. He inhaled, reveling in the feeling of embracing Arthur with his own body, rather than somebody else's.

"Merlin…" Arthur breathed out, feeling a heady rush as he felt Merlin's body against his own for the first time. Yes, this was bliss. Though he would never say it, Arthur was glad that Merlin decided to play the part of Gwen. It was still a stupid idea, but if it led to _this_…

"Arthur," Merlin called softly, grasping Arthur's chin with his two fingers. Arthur turned to look at him questioningly, and was unexpectedly pulled into a deep kiss.

Arthur melted into the kiss. He had never felt anything like this when he was kissing Gwen—not even when Merlin was in Gwen's body. Arthur opened his mouth wider, returning the kiss passionately. Merlin pulled him in by the waist, moaning in approval when Arthur deepened the kiss.

When the pulled back from the kiss, Arthur let his hand lazily run through Merlin's hair. "That was good," Arthur said contentedly, leaning into Merlin's chest.

"I love you," Merlin replied, kissing the side of Arthur's neck. "And I'll never let you go; not even if Gwen decides she wants you back."

"You're so sappy," Arthur teased.

"Doesn't make it any less true," Merlin said, pulling Arthur in for another kiss.

When they finally separated, Arthur sighed. "You know, when I said that I wanted to fall in love again, I never meant it to be with you."

"What can I say," Merlin replied, "it must be destiny."

XXX

A/N: Phew, that's the end of it! That took a lot longer than I had planned… 8k words for what was supposed to be a one-shot? Gosh!

I hope you enjoyed it! Keep an eye out for my future Merlin fics—I have two planned! I don't know when they'll be written and posted, though. Hopefully I'll get a lot done during winter break, but that's not for a good 3 months…

Reviews will always be welcome, even if you're reading this fic way, way into the future!


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